DiNapoli: state pension fund tops $180 billion in assets

The New York State Common Retirement Fund grew to an estimated $180.7 billion in assets as of June 30, according to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. That’s up from more than $176 billion in value as of March 31.

The net growth in the value of the fund reflects earnings over the quarter, offset by benefit payments, DiNapoli’s office said in a news release.

The fund had a “robust” first quarter based on a “solid performance” in domestic and global stock markets, DiNapoli said in the release.

The state-pension fund generated an overall return on its investments of 3.58 percent during the “strong” three-month period, his office added. The S&P 500 Index was up 4.69 percent in the same period.

As of June 30, the New York State Common Retirement Fund had more than 38 percent of its assets invested in publicly traded U.S. stocks and nearly 17 percent in non-U.S. and global equities.

By allocation, more than 26 percent of the remaining assets are invested in cash, bonds and mortgages; nearly 8 percent invested in private equity; almost 7 percent in real estate; about 3 percent in absolute return strategy; and less than one percent invested in opportunistic strategy alternatives, according to the release.

The New York State Common Retirement Fund is the third largest public-pension fund in the U.S.

It holds and invests the assets of the New York State and Local Retirement System on behalf of more than 1 million state and local-government employees and retirees and their beneficiaries.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com